Former Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio could be headed to TV booth

Jack Del Rio and Jon Gruden could be trading job descriptions in 2018.

On the day Gruden was introduced as the Oakland Raiders’ new coach, an NFL industry source told RaidersSnakepit.com that Jack Del Rio, the man Gruden has replaced, could resurface in 2018 in an analyst role.

There were no specifics cited, whether Del Rio could be work in a studio or as a color analyst during games. The Del Rio-TV interest is in the exploratory stages and nothing has been set.

There is also a chance that Del Rio could become a candidate to be a defensive coordinator somewhere this year. A source said coaching is in Del Rio’s future whether it is this year or not.

Del Rio doesn’t have to be in a rush. He has three years remaining on a lucrative contract extension he signed last January. The Raiders went 6-10 in 2017, which was a major disappointment after Del Rio led the Raiders to a 12-4 record in 2016.

The primary reason why Del Rio was fired was because Mark Davis wanted Gruden back. Gruden returns to the Raiders after a long stint on ESPN’s ‘Monday Night Football.” With Gruden heading back to the sideline, Del Rio could be headed in front of the camera.

Bill Williamson has been a professional sports journalist for 28 years. He has covered the NFL for 22 straight years. He has been covering the Oakland Raiders for the past nine years, including seven at ESPN.com.